Susie's Law (House Bill 1609) is a 2010 North Carolina state law which authorizes up to ten months in jail for convicted perpretrators of cruelty to animals.
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Passage of legislation
The law is named for "Susie", a part pit bull, which as a puppy was rescued in August 2009 from Greenfield Park in Greensboro, North Carolina having been set on fire, in torment and left to die. The law reclassifies the "malicious abuse, torture, or killing" of an animal from a Class I to a Class H felony, with the ten-month potential period of confinement.Susie had severe second and third-degree burns over most of her body; her ears were burned off, and she had a broken jaw and teeth. LaShawn Whitehead received a two-year prison sentence on conviction of indecent liberties with a minor and burning his girlfriend's personal property, according to records of the North Carolina Department of Correction. At the time abuse of Whitehead's own dog would have netted no jail time, but Whitehead was found guilty of abusing an animal owned by another person, which brought jail time.
Susie's Law was passed unanimously in the North Carolina State Senate, was signed into law by then Governor Beverly Perdue, and took effect on December 1, 2010. Passage was possible through intense citizen involvement when Susie's abuse became public, and fund-raising appeals met with great success. Susie was rescued by Donna Smith Lawrence, who had been seriously injured in an attack by a pit bull, which she had befriended, several months prior to finding Susie. Donna and her husband, Roy, then adopted Susie. They now reside in High Point, North Carolina.
Susie in the limelight
The 2013 film Susie's Hope by Uplifting Entertainment focuses on the Lawrences' story and their work to protect vulnerable animals. Emmanuelle Vaugier, a Canadian, is cast as Donna, Burgess Jenkins, a native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, as Roy, and Andrea Powell as Ramona Hodges, Donna's close friend and neighbor. Jon Provost, former child actor on CBS's Lassie, appeared as then North Carolina State Senator Don Vaughan, a Democrat from Greensboro who pushed for passage of Susie's Law. Willette Thompson portrays Marsha Williams, the outspoken director of the animal protection agency in Greensboro. The name of LaShawn Whitehead is changed in the film to Shawn Griffin, with Cranston Johnson cast in the part.Donna named Susie for the 1957 songs, "Susie Q" and "Wake Up Little Susie", performed in the film by Charlie Daniels and Vince Gill, respectively.
Now a certified therapy dog, Susie is regularly taken to schools, churches, and hospitals to warn of the danger of animal abuse and to promote kindness and respect. In 2014, the American Humane Association named Susie its "Hero Dog" in the category of "Dog Therapy".